The last Descent
by Deltathewolf
Summary: All is well. Sly is an officer at Interpol, Carmelita is pregnant, and both are getting ready to be wed. When an indescript letter threatens all of this, Sly must make his last descent into darkness. Rating for safety.
1. Prolouge Chapter 1:The Letter

The Last Descent

Chapter 1: The Letter

By Deltathewolf

Paris, France 0230

It was quiet, save for the noises from street level created by the early morning stirrings of the city. And it was rather dark. The only light came from the moonlight shining through the partially open blinds on the windows bathing the modest apartment flat in a bluish tone. The silence was broken, as a toilet was flushed, followed by the sound of running water. The water was shut off, and a wide beam of light appeared as the door to the bathroom opened up, revealing a silhouette of a half naked Raccoon.

Sly Cooper, clad in nothing but dark blue boxers, shut the light off and closed the door, once again leaving the room in darkness, and he made his way to the kitchen, his natural night vision already adjusted to the dark.

Flicking on the kitchen light, Sly picked up and started sorting through the mail left on the table from the previous day while taking a seat.

A smile appeared on his lips as a very audible snore came from the bedroom which he shared with his Betrothed, Carmelita Montoya Fox. The engagement was a surprise for everyone, especially Carmelita's parents. Nearly the entire law enforcement community who knew the inspector was in an uproar, wondering how a cop could fall in love with a thief. The Chief just shook his head with the faintest trace of a smile. Now, nearly two month later, a slight bulge was beginning to appear on Carmelita's belly. Sly and Carmelita both tried to wait until they actually got married, but eventually they came to an agreement.

The smile faded and he let out sigh. He had not told Carmelita about his faked amnesia. Nor did she know that he had retrieved his family cane, and the Thievious Raccoonus from Bentley, who he had regained contact with recently. He knew he had to tell her soon, before their child was born, but how do you tell the love of your life you lied to her for two years?

As he pondered this, a letter in the mail caught his eye. He separated it from the other envelopes and examined it closely.

"No return address?" Sly whispered to himself.

Using his claw he ripped open the top of the envelope and pulled out its contents.

Inside were several pictures and a folded letter. The barely legible scrawl appeared to have been written in haste. His eyes widened as he read it, reading it again and again, over and over trying to digest what it conveyed. He put down the letter and looked at the pictures, crumpling and throwing each of them in the trash in anger after looking at them.

Back in the bedroom, Carmelita stirred. She propped herself on her elbows and peered through the half open door which light was pouring through. Seeing her Beau at the kitchen table, she got out of bed, letting the sheets fall from her naked form, not bothering to hide her modesty in front of her eccentric fiancé, and walked out to Sly's stooped form, her bare padded feet barely making a sound on the carpeted floor.

Sly, with ears tuned from a life of thievery, picked up the faint footsteps of his fiancé and was not surprised when her arms came around his head and wrapped around his neck, Carmelita's ample bosom pressed up against the back of his head.

"You're up early."

Sly forced himself to calm down before replying in his usual suave tone.

"I couldn't sleep."

Being nocturnal, this was true to his nature, preferring to stay up and night and sleep during the day. This lead to problems at work, with Carmelita constantly having to shake Sly awake.

Sly subtly placed his paw over the letter covering most of the words from view, Carmelita not noticing the sleight of hand.

"Well, come back to bed soon, I don't like waking up to an empty bed."

"I know." He replied with a grin. "I'll be with you soon."

He turned his head, giving his wife a quick kiss before she released him and went back into the bedroom.

He watched her leave out of the corner of his eye, the grin still on his lips as his gaze was transfixed on Carmelita's swaying hips.

It faded swiftly, and his eyes found the letter again. He crumpled it and threw it in the trash, landing alongside the pictures. One of the pictures had un-crumpled slightly, revealing the spread wing silhouette of an owl.


	2. Chapter 2: Sneaking Around

The last Descent

Chapter 2: Sneaking around

By Deltathewolf

Paris, France 06:30

The early morning sun on the horizon of downtown Paris shone through the large office window, giving everything it touched an orange tint. Two desks, one in the middle, facing the door with papers strewn about the top and a small computer in the corner, the second one to the side, slightly smaller, but much, much more neat. A large safe, next to the messy desk, was the biggest object in the room, with the green couch located under the venetian blinded window that looked into the main office a close second. Next to the couch was the door, bright red with the gold star badge adorning the fogged glass. The light in the hall was turned on, and voices could be heard, growing louder as the persons they belonged to came closer.

"I'm just worried about you, alright? You sure you want to come in today?"

"They call it morning sickness for a reason, you know."

"Oh?"

The door opened and the light was flicked on, chasing what darkness was left in the early morning hours. Sly held the door open for Carmelita before entering and closing the door behind him.

"Because it disappears like the morning dew."

Sly, in a slightly modified version of his trademark thieving outfit, consisting of a blue short-sleeve sweater and gray pants, un-tucked around his old blue boots, his cap a perpetual presence on his head, and toting a black backpack,something he had taken to carrying around. A brown bomber jacket partially covered his badge, pinned to his chest.

Carmelita dressed in her usual work attire, but with a plain blue T-shirt instead of her zippered top, better to cover her growing belly.

They took their respective seats (Carmelita sat at the messy one) and began the long work day. Slowly, the sun rose higher in the sky as activity outside grew, and by 08:00, everyone had clocked in. A steady stream of people filtered through the door, handing in reports, and receiving assignment from the new Chief of Interpol, Paris. Old Chief Barkley was busy enjoying retirement with his three grand-children.

The day went by without incident, crime at all time lows in the area thanks to the efforts of the new Chief and the Constable under her tutelage. At first, when Carmelita took Sly in, everyone was weary of the supposedly reformed thief. But no one could stand up to the raccoon's charm for long, and eventually they warmed up to him. He was now as much as one of them as Carmelita was. In fact, there was a change in attitude towards Carmelita herself, not just because she was the new chief. She was actually….approachable. Ever since Cooper came in, everyone noticed she smiled a lot more, laughed, and even joked. This made everyone around her more at ease, as she was no longer the irritable "ironsides" as she was dubbed. Now, not everyone can change, as there were a few who still held her in contempt, but these people had to stay content on the side, muttering in the corner.

Lunch was a quiet affair, cooked personally by Mr. Cooper himself (as it turns out, he's not that half bad a cook), and it was eaten on a quiet bench in the park, not far from the office, with the two sharing sweet nothings between each other.

The day had gone well into the night before Carmelita finally put her pen down and stretched in her seat, her fluffy tail swinging lazily behind her, the tip dragging on the ground. Turning around in her chair, she smiled seeing Sly, who was hunched over his desk, working diligently.

"Well, I'm ready to go. How is your paperwork coming along?"

Sly looked up from the doodle he was drawing and turned around, swiveling his seat around to face her.

"I'm almost done here, you can go on ahead. I'll meet you at the car."

Sly had yet to apply for a license.

Carmelita got up from her chair and walked towards sly, giving him a quick peck on the lips before looking him in the eye. She suddenly grabbed him the the collar, pulling his head towards her, canting her head to the side and meshing their lips together. Sly's tail fluffed up, his toes curled, and he simply reached around and held her close by the waist. After what seemed to be an eternity, they finally separated, breathless. She pushed on his shoulders and Sly let her go. Turning around, Carmelita sauntered to the door, her hips swaying back and forth. At the door, she looked back at Sly over her shoulder, giving a coy smile before exiting. Sly just sat there in a daze for a few seconds.

"I love it when she does that." He whispered to himself, a grin alighting on his face.

He shook his head to clear it, and began putting his things away in the drawer, his pad, pens, and papers. Shoving these things to the side, he pulled up the double bottom, and retrieved a red leather bundle, carefully replacing the fake bottom. Picking up his backpack, he made his own journey to the door. He had to make this quick.

He opened the door and walked down the hall towards the bathroom. If anyone saw him, they would just assume he needed to take a leak. He stopped three doors short of the restroom, checking the hall for anyone that might see him.

Taking out the leather bundle, he unrolled it, revealing several lock picks arranged neatly in rows. Retrieving a tension wrench and a rake pick, Cooper quickly undid the simple tumbler lock and entered the room, not bothering to turn on the light, lest the shine under the door give him away. His nocturnal vision quickly adjusted to the dark, and his eyes found rows upon rows of filing cabinets, arranged in alphabetical order. When Sly was first accepted as a constable, his lengthy criminal file was erased from all computer records, and his physical file was placed deep in storage, were it was assumed he would never find it. This would have been true, had he actually had amnesia.

He quickly made his way down the aisles of files, searching for a certain section.

"Cooper…..Cooper…Cooper, Sly…." He mused quietly to himself.

"Here it is."

Sly swiftly opened the cabinet and fingered through the contents before deftly pulling out his rather large file. In it, he knew, was a record of all his exploits and achievements, with files dating back to when his parents were killed, nearly two decades ago. Time was short, and Carmelita was waiting, so he stuffed the file into his backpack. Opening the door just a crack, he peered through to check the hall, and confirming it was clear, he got out, making sure he locked the door behind him.

Outside, he opened the passenger side door, and set his bag down at his feet.

"Did you miss me?" he said with a grin, shutting the door.

"A little." She replied, starting the car.

"Just a little?" leaning towards her.

Carmelita smirked and shoved him back to his side before putting the red BMW 335i convertible in gear and driving off towards their penthouse, located on the outskirts of Paris.

* * *

Authors notes-

I am faced with a dilemma. I have a simple question that must be answered, and depending on my choice, the story will take a slightly different path than if I had chosen the other. Unable to make this choice myself, I turn towards the few readers I have.

Should Sly reveal his amnesia to carmelita in person, or should he leave a note?

PM your choice, and I will keep a tally, and by the fourth chapter, the winning tally will be revealed.


	3. Chapter 3: The Other Guys

I seem to have forgotten to put this in the first two chapters, so I'll just put it here. Sly Cooper and all affiliated characters are property of Sucker Punch studios, and do not belong to me. Any resemblance to events or people, fictional or otherwise, is completely coincidental. All original characters (there will be a few) are property of Deltathewolf.

The Last Descent

Chapter 3: The other guys

By Deltathewolf

North-East Paris 10:00

A yawn broke the silence, which had been reigning for the past twelve hours. The closed window muffled the sounds of a busy city, horns honking, people shouting, and all that nonsense. Getting up, being careful not to disturb his wife, he worked his way into his wheelchair and rolled himself over towards the bathroom. Shutting the door and turning the light on, he looked at himself in the mirror, revealing a twenty-five year old turtle staring back at him. Bentley Turtle had changed little in the two years since the Kaine Island job. Though there was the fact he had married his love, Penelope. The few years of therapy he had received also gave him limited use of his legs, though he still largely used his wheelchair.

The time spent with just the two of them had allowed him to begin work on things he would have never have done before. With a criminal record permanently deleted from all databases around the world, he and Penelope had a clean slate to start from. Doing freelance jobs for various companies gave them more than enough income to support all of their projects, including the hefty time machine.

Bentley smiled as his appearance reminded him of Murray in the morning, disheveled and in need of grooming. Murray was of course perusing his dream of becoming a championship racer, currently across the Atlantic in America. He had apparently won several first place trophies in his class, out doing the previous record by three.

After his morning routine, he rolled out of the bathroom into the master bedroom of their modest upper story flat. Penelope was already up and about; doing whatever it is that females do in the morning. Grinning, he rolled as quietly as his high-tech chair allowed him to behind his love, about to reach up and-

"Don't even think about it."

He did it anyway.

Grabbing her by the hips, he quickly pulled her into his lap, and began to tickle her mercilessly. Her sides, her belly, her neck, anywhere she was sensitive, he would draw his fingers over, eliciting a squeal of laughter from her lips. After writhing in his lap, helpless, she managed to turn around and retaliate, going for those special places she knew would get him to laugh. Bentley's eyes went wide and ended up in an uncontrollable fit of laughter, trying desperately to push Penelope from him, but failing miserably. Finally he couldn't take it anymore and pleaded for her to stop.

"Alright! I give in! Stop!" he managed to get out between peals of laughter.

"I told you not to, and now look what's happening!"

"Okay, okay! I understand! No more tickling!"

Penelope stopped and allowed her husband to regain his breath.

Even though he said he wouldn't do it anymore, she knew this wouldn't be the last time it happened, nor was it the first. This was one of many tickle fights they've had, and it showed just how much the asthmatic turtle had came out of his shell. It surprised Penelope on their wedding day when he had actually _initiated _a kiss. And it wasn't any plain peck on the lips either, but a full blown, tongue in mouth, French kiss. That was quiet the pleasurable experience for the young mouse. She smiled as she remembered that day, and the days following it on their honeymoon. Leaning in, she planted a light kiss on his lips, before following up with a deeper kiss, filled with something that was still fairly new to both of them: lust.

"What time did Sly say to meet him at?"

"12:30"

"What time is it now?"

"10:18"

"Do you remember the second night of our honeymoon?"

Bentley smiled at the memory.

"How could I forget?"

"Do you want to try that again?"

Bentley simply smiled and said;

"Of course."

* * *

As 12:30 came about Bentley and Penelope Wiseturtle were seating themselves in a booth at a small Mom n' Pop café, titled "Le petite café", located in downtown Paris.

Despite electronically clearing their names of all wrongdoings, their faces were still recognizable and would cause alarm, so what else to do but go in disguise? Bentley wore a pair of brown designer eyeglasses, rectangular instead of the usual octagonal specs, a tie instead of a bow, and a white dress shirt with black trousers. Penelope was wearing her normal yellow sweater, but instead of overalls she had on a pair of khaki cargo pants, and she had removed her bandana and tied her long blonde hair in a pony tail. She spoke up after they had settled in.

"What did Sly want again?"

"All he said was that there was something he needed to give us, and that it was very important."

*Ding*

Both of them turned to look at the door as the bell rung, expecting to see Sly, but instead four burly looking men had entered, all wearing black jackets or trench coats. They took a seat at the counter and the young waitress, the owner's daughter, took their order.

"Looking for me?"

Both of them jumped at the familiar voice and turned around quickly to see their friend sitting at the booth across the aisle.

"Sly!"

"Long time no see, you two."

Getting up, he walked towards them and gave both of them a big hug, stooping a little to get Bentley properly. Sitting back down, Sly across from Penelope with Bentley in his wheelchair at the head, Sly began speaking.

"Sorry I was a bit late, I got held up at the office."

Raising his eyebrow, Bentley replied "Having fun with Carmelita?"

Sly gave his trademark grin(probably to cover the slight blush that was appearing on his face.). "Yeah, how'd you know?'

"Because it was either that or for some strange reason, you have decided to start wearing lipstick on your cheek."

"Wha-?" He snatched the spoon from the table and looked at his reflection.

"Oh-!" quickly he grabbed the napkin and began wiping it off.

Penelope and Bentley laughed out loud at his antics, and had a difficult time trying to stifle it when the pretty genet waitress came to take their order.

They talked about what they had done the past two years, catching up on what every one had been doing. Sly congratulated them on their marriage, and they in turn praised Sly for his engagement with a certain fiery vixen. Sly's lunch break was nearly over when he noticed the time and decided to get down to business.

Clearing his throat, Sly pulled his file out from his bag, as well as a copy of the letter that had come in through the mail.

"This is why I had you meet me today." He said, as he handed the letter to Bentley to read.

Bentley held it up so Penelope could read over his shoulder, their eyes moving back and forth as they read it. The more they read, the more their eyes widened. When they finished, Bentley put the letter down with a shaking hand.

"Sly, this is…this is big."

"I know, and I need your help finding out who sent it, and what the numbers on the bottom mean."

Pulling his stolen file out, Sly gave it to a much more composed Penelope.

"In there should be enough information to help you out. And, I'm going to have to ask one last favor from both of you."

Penelope responded to let her husband to try and compose herself.

"Whatever it is Sly, we'll be glad to do it."

"Stay out of this."

"What?" Bentley spluttered.

"Stay out of this. Don't try to help me beyond this. I don't know why, but something tells me, that this is something that only I can finish. And when worse comes to worse, I don't want either of you in the crossfire."

"But Sly, we can't just-!"

"Promise me Bentley. Please"

"Bu-"

"Please."

Bentley opened his mouth to argue further, but it died on his lips. He sighed in defeat and said:

"OK"

A small smile appeared on Sly's face as he took his friend's hand and held it with both of his own.

"Thank you."

Bentley nodded in response, his head bowed down. Sly turned towards Penelope.

"Penelope?"

"I will respect your wishes as well Sly."

The smile grew slightly bigger on his face, and he addressed them both.

"Thank you, both of you. It makes me feel better; knowing you two will be safe from my actions. Here, lunch is on me."

He pulled out his wallet and placed a wad of Euros on the table as he stood up.

"I have to get back to the office; Carmelita is probably waiting for me."

Bentley wheeled away from the table to make room for Penelope, and the three of them walked towards the door. Outside, Sly hugged both of them one last time.

"It's been nice seeing you two again."

"Same here pal."

"See you, Sly. We'll try to get your request done as soon as possible. We'll call you when we have answers."

"Thanks again you two, without you guys, I wouldn't know where to start."

"Think nothing of it; we would do the same for you."

Sly gave another one of his trademark grins and replied: "I know."

* * *

Chief Carmelita Fox looked up from her desk when the door opened, and a smile blossomed when she saw who it was.

"About time ringtail, I was starting to get worried." She said, taking off her glasses and leaning back into her chair.

"Worried? About me?" A grin blooming on his own face.

"Shut up and get over here."

Obediently, Sly walked around her desk to stand in front of her. She raised her hands so that they were sticking straight out for him. He grabbed them and pulled her up out of her seat, bringing her to stand right into his arms. Her hands slid around his sturdy frame and wrapped around his waist, her head leaning up to look into his creamy hazel eyes. His own head bowed to meet her gaze, canting to the side, the smile still on his lips. Slowly he leaned into her, bringing his lips closer to hers, until finally they met, softly at first, but deepening, Carmelita rising on her toes to press their lips together harder.

Out of breath, the two lovers broke apart, panting. Carmelita setting her heels back on the ground, and snuggling into his firm chest. She was content to stay there, but her new view revealed the blinds on the inner window were pulled up, presenting all the people in the main office, who almost all were standing stock still, some with their mouths open, others chuckling, with a clear view of their rather intimate interactions.

Sly looked up at the window, still smiling, and waved at everyone that was watching. A furious blush appeared on Carmelita's face, and she quickly ran to the window and closed the blinds.

* * *

The night had come, and once again Sly found himself staring out the window into the Parisian cityscape, the Eiffel Tower clearly visible in his view. And once again, Sly found himself ignoring the beautiful scenery, and contemplating his life.

After the events on Kaine Island, everything had been a rush. It wasn't until few months after that he got a chance to actually sit and think. At first he tried not to, but it just kept coming back.

_I have to tell her._

The voice, his own conscience, kept repeating it in his head.

_But I can't._

Another part of his mind would argue back. He thought of everything he had. Carmelita. His new job. The flat. For god's sake, he was going to be a father!

He sighed.

_I wish you were here dad. I wonder what you would do?_ looking up into the stars, perhaps hoping for some kind of sign from his father. Finding none he turned away from the window and walked silently into the kitchen, opening a cupboard close to the front door and opening a secret compartment in the side, revealing the gleaming Cooper Cane. Also there was his red hip pouch, containing a stack of his famous calling cards. Pulling one out, he closed the compartment, the door blending seamlessly with the cupboared, before grabbing a piece of paper, a pen, and an envelope.

* * *

Authors notes- Not to worry, chapter 3 was always meant to end this way. Chapter 4 is were things start to pick up, and there's an overwhelming call for "in person."


	4. Chapter 4: Attack

Sly Cooper and all related characters are property of Sucker Punch studios. All original characters are property of Delta the wolf.

The Last Descent

Chapter 4: Attack

By Delta the wolf

His ears flicked. He could feel the vibrations through the floor. Hear the heavy footfalls coming up the stairs. Suddenly:

**THUNK**

He didn't need to look to know it came from the door. Knocking the chair over, he ran as quickly as he could towards the bedroom, but he only managed a few steps before all hell broke loose.

The door exploded with enough force to send Sly to the ground in a daze. Four men, the same four that were at the café, ran into the penthouse. A blue bolt of energy smashed into the first canine thug, causing him to violently spasm into unconsciousness. The remaining three brought their handguns to bear and opened up on Carmelita, forcing her to take cover back in the room.

Sly meanwhile, was hiding behind the counter, readying a plan. In his left hand was a homemade smoke bomb. In his other hand was the pull fuse. He tossed it over the counter, counting the seconds in his head.

_One…two…NOW! _

He covered his face with his arms as he jumped over the counter just as it exploded. Half the room was suddenly blanketed in a haze of white smoke, un-burnt powder flying everywhere, including the bandit's eyes. Sly landed, two feet on the face of one of the discombobulated goons and back flipped off, sending the man to the ground, unconscious. Turning, the black smoke swirling around him, Sly brought his foot strait up in a kick, knocking the gun out of another thug's hands. He didn't have time to react before Sly landed a left hook across his jaw, twisting his head violently, upsetting his equilibrium to the point he passed out and fell. By now, the smoke had cleared enough that Sly could see the shadow of a person behind him. A bright flash of blue appeared, and the shadow seemed to have a seizure, before the owner of said shadow fell to the ground, still smoking from the shock he received.

Sly took stock of the ruined kitchen. The explosion had left bits of debris everywhere. He noticed a glint of gold underneath some of the rubble. The cabinet that held his cane had been destroyed and sent the family heirloom unto the floor.

"Are you okay?"

Sly jerked his head around, and nudged his cane into the space under the counter with his foot. Carmelita, clad in gray sweatpants and an Interpol PT shirt, was sticking her head out of the door to make sure the coast was clear.

"I'm fine. I wouldn't say the same for these guys." He said, motioning towards the comatose goons. Three of them appeared to be in semi-comas.

Sly's ears flicked. Carmelita noticed and waited until she could hear it to.

Carmelita ran towards the counter from her door and ducked behind it. Sly rolled behind the upturned table just as four more men, fully clad in black combat gear, balaclavas, and toting automatic rifles, ran in and opened fire. Hollow point bullets smashed into the hard wood table top and counter, tearing up the already destroyed kitchen. The men fired until roughly half their clips were empty before advancing slowly on the out of site officers.

Carmelita stood up from behind the counter and fired her shock pistol at one of them. The blue electric bolt smashed into the assailant's chest, ripping the cloth on his armor, but doing little else. Seemingly unfazed, he returned fire.

Surprised by their fortitude, Carmelita managed to duck in time, but not quickly enough to avoid the two rounds that hit her.

The hollow point 9 mm rounds peeled outward upon impact, creating six jagged "petals" that ripped and teared into the soft unprotected flesh, causing massive damage and immense pain.

Carmelita screamed in agony as she fell to the ground. Sly could only watch from behind the table as his fiancé dropped behind the counter with an unknown amount of injury.

His lip firmed into a hard line.

Getting on to his back, he brought his knees to his chest, both feet together, before kicking out as hard as he could. His feet impacted the table, sending it flying into the man that had shot Carmelita. The force of it was enough to send him to the ground, the table shattering around him. Sly sprinted up to the other three, vaulting over the downed men, before slamming his shoulder into the closest standing attacker, knocking him to the ground. Spinning swiftly, he brought his elbow up and smashed it into the side of the skull of the next closest assailant. Spinning again, he attempted to kick the last attacker in the gut. The black commando fell to one knee, blocking Sly's foot with his forearm, before swinging his rifle like a bat into his ribs.

Sly let out a grunt, moving with the swing of the rifle to reduce the amount of damage he sustained, rolling away, getting on his feet quickly in a combat stance.

When you fight a lot, like you take martial arts, or you're in a profession that requires quick thinking, such as being a cop or a soldier, or even a master thief, you develop a sort of 360 degree awareness of everything. Such was the case now.

Sly turned quickly, bringing his arm up. His forearm clashed with another as it blocked an overhead knife swing from one of the other commandos. Sly moved, grabbing his outstretched arm with both hands before bracing his feet and pulling the assailants arm, dragging him forward, then around as Sly twisted, forcing the attacker to trip over Sly's thigh, sending him face first into the ground, his arm still entrapped in Sly's powerful grip. Forcing his arm up behind him, Sly pinned him to the ground with his knee in his back. Keeping his arm in place with one hand, Sly brought his other hand up in a fist and brought it down into the commandos trapped arm, breaking it at the elbow, then bringing it back up to slam into the back of his head, silencing his cry of pain.

Sensing movement behind him, Sly rolled forward in time to avoid a shot to the back. Kicking off the counter, he rolled back towards the remaining three and jumped back on his feet, planting them square, pushing off the ground with his legs, twisting his hips, turning his shoulders in one straight unit, his fist turning as it flew, each slight movement coming together for a powerful blow.

If it landed in the right place, it could floor someone three times his size, even killing them.

If it landed.

Sly didn't have time to voice his surprise as the commando brushed his strike to the side and swung a right hook into his ribs. Sly reeled back and struck the canine's kidney with his other fist. The commando grunted and backed off. The other two stood to the sides of what appeared to be the leader and took combat stances, their rifles laying forgotten on the ground.

Sly steeled his nerves. He wished Murray was here, but if he did nothing, his wife-to-be and their unborn child would die.

So he charged.

Running straight for them, he jumped up over the leaders head, planting his feet in the face of another behind him. Sly's weight forced him to fall to the ground, a boot shaped imprint left behind. On his feet again, he turned quickly to block an incoming attack, slamming his palm into the attacker's nose, dazing him.

Following up with another strike he managed to knock him out, but an intense pain formed on his back, forcing him to roll away. Turning, he saw the leader standing with his paws held together, forming a crude sledgehammer. He didn't give Sly a chance to recover, and charged him headlong.

Sly was pushed back, blocking the strikes that were aimed at him. It came in a furious barrage; it was all Sly could do to avoid getting hit. Backing up towards the counter, struggling to keep up, he found an opening and took it.

Quick as he could, Sly brought his foot up into a roundhouse kick, aiming for his head. The commando blocked it, grabbing it with both hands before swinging Sly around and letting go, sending him crashing into the wall and falling to the ground.

Head reeling from the pain, Sly brought himself to a sitting position. He looked up in time to see the commando pull out his sidearm, a Beretta M9. He cocked it back, the receiver sliding into place with a resounding click. Holding it out in front of him, he began to raise it slowly until it was level with Sly's head.

Sly shut his eyes.

He pulled the trigger.


End file.
